Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Jenni Sebora Column – 04/04/16



Here we are – spring has sprung!

As I was jogging on one of the many trails that we are so lucky to have in our area, my thoughts turned to how fortunate I am to live where I do – in the wonderful state of Minnesota.

While at my job, I intentionally stop a few times, just to take in the sounds of nature that abound when spring is here.

Every year we get a new spring, summer, fall, and winter. We get to experience all of the changes that take place with each season, and this happens to us every year. This is what I love about living in Minnesota.

There is always a new beginning at the start of each season, and with that comes feelings of anticipation, hope, and excitement, which is so good for everyone.

I find myself really appreciating when the daylight hours are extended, and I see the tulips blossoming among the other foliage that remains asleep for just a little while longer.

I enjoy cleaning out my flower beds, to prep them for the new growth of perennials and the addition of colorful annuals. I love planning what I will grow in my flower beds and vegetable garden. What’s the new tomato plant to try this year?

It is also a great opportunity to involve your children in this process, no matter the age.

When my daughters were younger, we took classes together on creating and growing a fairy garden – which we still create each year – with miniature furniture, landscaping, stone pathways, and foliage.

Last year, my daughters and I took a vintage tub (I like calling it vintage – another word for “old”), and planted a salsa garden for Dad for Fathers Day. My husband loves salsa, and the hotter the better.

It was so much fun to visit our local greenhouse and pick out various peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro. We mixed up the soil, filled the tub, planted the edible plants, put little plant stakes by each plant identifying it, and tied a big ribbon around it. Dad loved it, and so did we.

I like to frequent the greenhouses, just to take in all of the colors and scents.

Each year, I take my daughters along, so they can choose some annual flowers to plant in our flower beds.

Since we live in the “country,” with some acreage, we have plenty of room for adding new foliage, so each year we plant a few more perennials, like a new hosta, a perennial geranium, sedum – the list goes on.

As we are nearing the season of planting and new growth, it is great to involve your children in this process, even if it’s simply painting a pot and planting a flower or vegetable seeds in it, making some homemade pavers out of a mold and some cement, painting some paint stir-sticks and writing various plant names on them for plant markers, or planting a wildflower garden for the butterflies. The ideas are plentiful!

I love this time of year, and fall, winter, and summer. Each season adds something new and exciting. Yes, even the snow.

Involve your children in the excitement of each season and what it has to offer.

Robin Williams said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party.’”








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